The U.S. Department of Defense has disclosed that the number of American troops in Syria has risen to 2,000, up from the previously stated 900. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder noted that this increase was temporary to bolster the anti-jihadist coalition and remarked that he had only recently learned of the new troop numbers. He speculated that the figure could have been this high for several months leading up to the potential fall of President Bashar al-Assad.